Continuous mining apparatus with floor clean-up means



June 19, 1956 A. L. BARRETT 2,751,209

CONTINUOUS MINING APPARATUS WITH FLOOR CLEAN-UP MEANS Filed Sept- 14, 1949 K Ylll In /f www" www:

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June 19, 1956 A, L, BARRETT. 2,751,209

CONTINUOUS MINING APPARATUS WITH FLOOR CLEAN-UP 'MEANS Filed Sept. 14. 1949` 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 CN'HNUOUS llt/EVEN@ APPARATUS WITH FLOR CLEAN-Ui MEANS Arthur Lee Barrett, Franklin, Pa., assignor to `loy lVlanu-` facturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation ot Pennsylvania Application September 14, 1949, Serial No. 115,742 8 Claims. (Cl. 262--29) This invention relates to continuous mining apparatus and more particularly to an improved floor clean-up arrangement for such an apparatus whereby any loose material which falls to the mine oor during the mining operation may be eiectively cleaned up and loaded onto the conveying means of the apparatus.

A continuous mining apparatus of a known type operates on the working face of a solid coal seam or mine vein, to tear out and disintegrate the mineral from the solid and to load the mineral so disintegrated onto the conveying means of the apparatus for conveyance to a suitable point of delivery remote from the working face. In such an apparatus, during the mining operation, some of the disintegrated mineral falls to the mine floor, and for the eiicient operation of the apparatus such loose material must be substantially cleaned up from the floor and loaded onto the conveying means of the apparatus substantially without manual handling of the material. ln such known type of continuous mining apparatus, the iloor clean-up device is associated with the disintegrating head of the apparatus, for moving the loose material on the mine oor with a positive pushing or bulldozer action in a forward direction so that the material is collected in adjacency with the lower portion of the disintegrating head, enabling the latter when it is swung downwardly into its lowered position near the oor level to engage and move the loose material on the floor onto the conveying means of the apparatus. In such known type of continuous mining apparatus the disintegrating head is swingable laterally with respect to a mobile base into positions to attack and disintegrate the working face successively at diierent lateral points. The floor cleanup device of the present invention cooperates also directly with the disintegrating head of the continuous miner to clean up the mine door, and the clean-up device of the present invention is so arranged and constructed that when the disintegrating head is swung laterally the cleanup device also acts to gather some of the loose material on the mine floor and to direct the material so gathered directly onto the conveying means of the apparatus. Moreover, the clean-up device of the present invention is of substantially greater width than the width of the disintegrating head, and has upright pusher plates so that a definite bulldozer action is obtained, whereby when the device is advanced with the disintegrating head the loose material on the mine door is piled up in substantial quantity in the zone of action of the disintegrating head. It will accordingly be seen that in accordance with the present invention there is not only a positive pushing or bulldozer action on the material on the mine oor, but there is also a lateral gathering action provided thus increasing the eiectiveness and lateral range of the iioor clean-up function.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved continuous mining apparatus having an improved material gathering action whereby the mine oor in advance of the base of the apparatus may be effectively cleaned up. Another object is to provide an improved Patented June 19, 1956 oor clean-up means associated with the disintegrating head of a continuous mining apparatus by which any loose material which has fallen to the mine licor during the mining operation shall be effectively gathered from the oor and moved onto the conveying means of the apparatus. Yet another object is to provide an improved iioor clean-up device which positively moves with a pushing action the loose material on the mine iloor directly into the path of action of the disintegrating head so that the latter may move the material from the lloor onto the conveying means of the apparatus. A further object is to provide an improved iloor clean-up device associated with a continuous mining apparatus for positively pushing the loose material on the mine Hoor with a definite bulldozer action to cause the material to accumulate in the zone of action of the disintegrating head thereby to enable the head to move the material so accumulated from the mine tloor. A still further object is to provide an improved floor clean-up device which not only cooperates with the disintegrating head, during forward movement, in the cleaning up of the loose material on the mine iioor, but also serves to gather the loose material as the disintegrating head is adjusted laterally into dilerent disintegrating positions and to direct the material so gathered toward the conveying means of the apparatus. Still another object is to provide an improved floor clean-up device which not only has a positive forward pushing action to bring the material into the zone of action of the disintegrating head but also has a lateral gathering and lifting action thereby to increase the range of operation of the device. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

ln these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the forward portion of a continuous mining apparatus with which an illustrative em bodiment of the invention is associated.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the mining apparatus shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged View in central longitudinal vertical section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a detail cross sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Figs. 3 and 5.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 5 5 of Fig. 2, showing the tioor clean-up device in top plan.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the continuous mining apparatus is generally designated 1, and the improved oor clean-up means associated with the mining apparatus, is generally designated 2. Evidently, the novel features of the invention may be embodied in mining apparatus of other types.

The continuous mining apparatus may be similar to that disclosed in the copending Russell and Sibley applications Serial Nos. 102,995 and 102,996, both tiled on July 5, 1949, to which applications this present one is subordinate as to all common patentable subject matter. The continuous mining apparatus includes a mobile base 3 having a frame 4, which has a horizontal supporting frame or turntable 5 swivelled thereon at 6 to turn about a vertical axis. The swivelled frame or turntable 5 has a horizontal frame portion 7 projecting outwardly in ad- Vance of the base and providing horizontal guiding means along which a sliding frame or support 8 is slidable rectilinearly in a radial direction relation to the turntable axis. Hydraulic cylinders, one of which is shown at 9 in Fig. 3, arranged parallel with the guiding means, are provided for moving the sliding support 8 back and forth along its guiding means relative to the turntable frame.

A vertically swingable frame or bar structure 1l) is pivotally mounted at on the sliding support 8 to swing in vertical planes with respect thereto and to swing horizontally with the turntable relative to the base. The swingable frame or bar structure 10 extends forwardly in advance of the base and carries a mine vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism 11 for dislodging and disintegrating the coal or other mineral in relatively wide vertical segments from a solid seam or vein. The swingable frame 16 provides guideways along which parallel endless disintegrating chains 12, herein constituting the vein-attacking means of the mechanism 11, are guided for circulation in vertical orbital paths, with the bottom runs ot' the chains moving forwardly and outwardly along the bottom of the swingable frame and the top runs of the chains moving rearwardly along the top ot the swingable frame. The frame structure 10 and disiutegrating mechanism 11 cooperate to provide a disintegrating head which may be moved rectilinearly in forward and rearward directions, may be swung in vertical planes, and may be adjusted laterally about the turntable axis into positions to eifect dislodgrnent and disintegration of a series of vertical segments of coal or other mineral successively completely across the working face. The frame structure 1) has depending arms 13 which are pivotally connected at i4 to pistons 15 contained in hydraulic cylinders 16 mounted at the sides of the sliding support 8, and when liquid under pressure is supplied to these cylinders the disintegrating head may be swung upwardly about its pivot. A front loading conveyor 17 on the sliding support 8 extends downwardly and forwardly beneath the disintegrating head as shown in Fig. 3, and receives from the latter, at a point well to the rear of its own forward end the disintegrated material discharged from the top runs of t'ne chains of the disintegrating head, The conveyor 17 conveys the material received thereby rearward ly to discharge into a hopper 18 on the base frame at the vertical pivot of the disintegrating head in coaxial relation with the turntable, and a delivery conveyor 19 extends into the hopper for moving the material therein rearwardly of the apparatus to discharge at a suitable point of delivery at the rear end of the apparatus.

The front loading conveyor 17 has a floor clean-up function as will shortly appear. The loading conveyor 17 extends forwardly and downwardly to a point closely adjacent to the mine iloor as shown in Fig. 3 and extends rearwardly to a point overlying the hopper l and it delivers not only the disintegrated material discharged to it by the disintegrating head but also material gathered from 'ie mine tloor by the iioor clean-up device 2. The cleanup dcvice is carried by the sliding support 3 beneath the disintcgrating head and is pivoted at 21 to tilt in vertical planes so that the front transverse penetrating edge 2.2 of the device may be lifted from the mine floor or adjusted into the desired position with respect to the mine lloor. A hydraulic cylinder 23 is pivotally connected between the sliding support and the clean-up device for tilting the latter about its pivot and for maintaining the same in its adjusted position. The clean-up device includes a trarne 24 of greater width than the width of the disintegrating head as shown in Fig. 1 and having a front nose 2S which supports the penetrating edge 22 and lateral portions 26 projecting from the opposite sides of the front receiving end of the loading conveyor 17 and having rearwardly diverging side edges 27. These lateral portions 26 have plane upper surfaces 28 (see Figs. 4 and 5) and downwardly and outwardly inclined surfaces 29 extending to the diverging side edges 27 which constitute the lateral penetrating edges of the device. The surfaces 29 also slope rearwardly toward upright plates St) arranged transversely of the device in advance of the swing cylinders 16 (Fig. 2), and these plates are cutaway at 31 to receive the lower portions of the depending arms 13 of the disintegrating head as shown in Fig. 4. The front nose has a downwardly inclined upper surface 32 which extends laterally to the inclined side surfaces 29. The frame 24 is shaped to constitute a transverse pusher member, which, when the disintegrating head is in lowered position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and the sliding frame is moved outwardly along its guideways, thrusts or bulldozes the loose material on the mine iloor in front of the frame into the zone of action of the bottorn runs of the disintegrating chains 12 so that the latter may engage the accumulated material and move it forwardly and upwardly around the disintegrating head and rearwardly along the top of the head to discharge onto the front loading conveyor 17. As the disintegrating head is moved laterally in one direction or the other with respect to the base to effect positioning thereof with respect to the working face of the coal seam one or the other of the lateral penetrating edges 27 of the frame 24 penetrates or works under the material on the mine oor and directs the material laterally toward the receiving end of the loading conveyor. During both the forward and lateral movements of the clean-up device the upright plates Sil direct the material either forwardly or laterally so that ow of material over the rear side of the clean-up frame 24 is substantially obstructed. During the forward motion of the clean-up device a forward pushing or bulldozer action is produced which moves the material on the mine oor forwardly to gather the same within the zone of action of the disintegrating head, and during the lateral motion of the disintegrating head the material on the floor is directed by the clean-up device toward the receiving end of the loading conveyor so that the latter may load the material independently of the disintegrating head. By the combination of these two functions the mine floor is effectively cleaned up between the sides of the mine passageway formed by the disintegrating head in advance of the base. During the forward pushing or bulldozer action of the clean-up device very little material passes from the mine oor over the surface 32 to the front receiving end of the loading conveyor and at that time the material on the mine door is conveyed substantially entirely by the disintegrating chains of the loading head to the loading conveyor. During lateral movement of the clean-up device the material is raised and caused to move onto the receiving end of the loading conveyor and at that time the disintegrating chains of the head have practically no door clean-up function. As mentioned above the disintegrating head makes repeated upright disintegrating movements successively across the entire width of the working face of the mine vein so that a wide segment of mineral is removed from the seam and during the Successive operations of the disintegrating head the cleanaup device effectually cleans up any loose material which has fallen to the mine hoor, and as the base is advanced as mining progresses a substantially clean iloor is provided over which the base may travel. A further advantage of extending the conveyor 17 so far forwardly lies in the fact that carry back of disintegrated material brought around by the rearward portions of the forwardly moving chain is considerably reduced.

As a result of this invention an improved continuous mining apparatus is provided which completely disintegrates the face of a solid mine vein, loads the disintegrated material and effectively cleans up and loads any disintegrated material which may fall to the mine floor so that manual handling of the material is substantially avoided. By the provision of the improved oor clean-up device arranged to move with the disintegrating head for effecting with a positive pushing or bulldozer action the piling up of loose material on the mine floor in the zone of action of the disintegrating head a substantial portion ofthe loose material on the mine iioor is gathered by the disintegrating head of the apparatus thereby resulting in an extremely simple and efficient manner of cleaning the loose material from the mine oor. By bringing the loading conveyor downwardly with its front receiving end in adjacency to the mine oor and by the provision of the lateral material directing surfaces on the clean-up device the loose material on the mine floor is directed toward the loading conveyor as the disintegrating head is adjusted laterally thereby materially increasing the range of clean-up action. By arranging the upright plates on the clean-up frame in the manner disclosed obstructions are provided so that the material on the mine oor is prevented from moving rearwardly from the clean-up device and is pushed forwardly when the device is advanced and is directed laterally when the device is moved sidewise. By carrying the conveyor so far forward of the rear ends of the orbits of the disintegrating chains most at least of the material that these chains carry around past their sprockets is intercepted by the conveyor and delivered by the latter rearwardly, instead of being delivered to the mine floor. The cleanup device is comparatively simple and rugged in design, well adapted to meet the demands of service. These and other uses and advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While there is in this application specifically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration, and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a base, a disintegrating head swingably mounted on said base, power swinging devices for said head, and a oor clean-up device mounted on said base to move forwardly and rearwardly near the iioor level, said device including pusher means comprising a pusher frame having a forwardly and downwardly inclined upper surface terminating in a front nose portion disposed at the oor level, said frame having upright pusher plates located rearwardly of said nose portion and disposed perpendicular to said inclined upper surface, said pusher plates projecting laterally at opposite sides of said frame and extending transversely of the path of movement of said device for effecting in coaction with said nose portion a positive pushing action to accumulate loose material on the mine Hoor as said device is moved forwardly, said power swinging devices arranged on said base at the sides of said pusher fratrie and including motor elements arranged rearwardly of said pusher plates with the lower portions of said motor elements disposed below the tops of said plates whereby the latter obstruct movement of loose material from said pusher frame towards said swinging devices.

2. In combination, a base, a disintegrating head swingably mounted on said base, power devices for swinging said head, a support mounted on said base to move horizontally back and forth, and a floor clean-up device mounted on said support comprising a frame pivotally mounted on said support to swing in vertical planes with respect thereto and when lowered extending forwardly and downwardly with its forward end disposed close to the oor, said frame having a forwardly and downwardly inclined upper surface terminating in a front nose portion and upright pusher plates extending transversely of the rearward portion of said frame rearwardly of said nose portion and disposed perpendicular to said inclined upper surface, said pusher plates coacting with the latter for positively pushing the loose material on the mine floor as said device is moved forwardly with said support to cause a collection of loose material on the iioor in advance of said device, said power devices comprising fluid motor cylinders arranged on said support at the sides of said frame just rearwardly of and extending below the tops of said pusher plates, said pusher plates obstructing movement of loose material from said frame towards said power devices.

3. In combination, a base, a disintegrating head swing? ably mounted on said base, power devices for swinging said head, a floor clean-up device, and means for supporting the latter on said base for causing said device to advance and to withdraw, said clean-up device comprising a pusher frame having material bulldozing means at its forward end for positively pushing the loose material on the mine floor to cause the material to pile up in advance of said device, said frame having a forwardly and downwardly inclined upper surface terminating in a front nose portion, said bulldozing means having upright pusher plates extending transversely of said frame and disposed perpendicular to said inclined upper surface, and material conveying means extending close to the forward end of said bulldozing means, said upright pusher plates disposed rearwardly of said front nose portion at the opposite sides of said conveying means and cooperating with said forward end of said bulldozing means to pile up the material, said power devices being lluid actuated and including lluid cylinders arranged at the sides of said support just rearwardly of and extending below the tops of said pusher plates whereby the latter obstruct movement of loose material from said pusher frame towards said fluid cylinders.

4. In combination, a base, a disintegrating head swing ably mounted on said base, power swinging devices for said disintegrating head, and a oor cleanup device on said base beneath said disintegrating head, said device including a pusher frame having a forwardly and down wardly inclined upper surface terminating in a front nose portion disposed at the floor level, said frame having upright pusher plates located rearwardly of said nose porn tion and projecting laterally at opposite sides of said frame, said upright plates disposed perpendicular to the plane of said inclined upper surface and extending transversely of the path of forward movement of said device for effecting in coaction with said nose portion a positive pushing action to accumulate loose material on the mine floor beneath said head for engagement by the latter as said device is moved forwardly, said power swinging devices for said disintegrating head mounted on said base rearwardly of said upright plates and operative connecfv tions between said power devices and said head, said plates having recesses at their upper portions for receiving portions of said operative connections.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein an endless conveyor on said base extends downwardly beneath said head for receiving disintegrated material discharged from said head, said conveyor having its forward portion guided for circulation along said pusher frame and extending forwardly and downwardly between said pusher plates, said conveyor having its top run disposed substantially flush with said inclined upper surface.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said clean-up device is movable laterally in opposite directions with said disintegrating head and is provided with inclined lateral gathering portions extending rearwardly of said nose portion in advance of said upright pusher plates for directing the loose material on the mine lloor laterally onto the top run of said conveyor.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said upright pusher plates extend laterally in opposite directions to the opposite sides of said lateral gathering portions and said operative connections between said power devices and said disintegrating head are disposed directly above said lateral portions.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cleanup device is movable laterally and a conveyor is guided on said pusher frame and is movable laterally with said clean-up device and said pusher frame is provided with lateral gathering portions extending rearwardly at the sides of said nose portion for directing loose material on the mine floor toward said conveyor as the latter and said device are moved 1atera11y, said pusher plates disposed rearwardly of said gathering portions and extending laterally to the opposite sides thereof at the sides of said conveyor and beyond the outer sides of said motor elements.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,271,627 Stuart July 9, 1918 8 Stuart July 13, 1920 Mael-lachen Mar. 20, 1923 Morgan Sept. 24, 1929 Morgan Ian. 27, 1931 Joy Nov.V 23, 1937 Osgood Jan. 13, 1942 Myers Nov. 13, 1951 Osgood Mar. 4, 1952 

